


5 Times Bucky Spilled his Coffee on a Cute Stranger

by creationof_adam



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 09:51:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14041629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/creationof_adam/pseuds/creationof_adam
Summary: It's not like Bucky kept meaning to do this, if anything, it was the stranger's fault for not watching where he was going.





	5 Times Bucky Spilled his Coffee on a Cute Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> Alternative Title: 5 Times Bucky was a useless gay

Normally, Bucky made coffee before getting ready for his morning classes; it never tasted good, it’s not like he owned a Keurig or bothered spending more than the bare amount on grounds, but he needed the caffeine because college was hard and the classes he needed started before ten. But he’d been busy, and now there were no more grounds in the container and his alarm didn’t go off and he was going to be late if he didn’t get a move on. 

He opened the cabinet one more time just to make sure fresh grounds hadn’t appeared.

“Clint, I need you to go to the store and get coffee and some other shit. There’s no food.” He wasn’t surprised when the lump on the couch only groaned in response. “And pick up bananas”, he added.

From under the blankets came a muffled, “I’m trying to sleep, you fuck.”

-

It’s not like he slept too far in, but between the shower taking forever to warm up, thanks to his shitty apartment, and the monstrous line he was currently waiting in, Bucky started to get antsy. This was his favorite cafe on campus, not too small that he couldn’t find a quiet space to work, but not big enough that it attracted many other students. Except this morning, where it felt like half of the campus was trying to get lattes from the overworked baristas as the noise slowly escalated from “comfortable cafe” to “over crowded shop filled with cranky students”. 

Glancing down at his phone, he realized there were only five minutes before class, which still meant he had time to get to chemistry if he ever got his drink. Fuck. He was never late to class, to the point where Clint and Natasha teased him for always being the first one to show up. But here he was, standing in a too crowded coffee shop with his hair still damp from his shower and his backpack digging into his shoulders waiting for a coffee he started to think wasn’t worth the stress.

“Barnes!”

Snapping out of his small self pity party, he grabbed the large white cup and made his way out the door. Three minutes. Thank god this lecture was on the first floor. He was going to make it, maybe even with a minute to spare. He was going to kill Clint for drinking the last of the coffee. Caught up in his thoughts of how to get back at his roommate, he didn’t see the guy turning around the corner.

“Oh fuck!” The words left Bucky’s mouth as soon as he saw the coffee spill down the front of the stranger’s shirt. “I am so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention-” 

“No shit!” the stranger spat back as he pulled the shirt away from his small frame, before looking up at Bucky. And maybe Bucky missed the next couple of words because between the flush of the stranger’s cheeks and the twist of his lips, Bucky felt his brain short circuit.

“-have any napkins or something?”

Bucky shook his head, more to clear his thoughts than in an actual answer. “Uh, no, look, man, I, uh, I’m really sorry, uh, I don’t-”

“Save it. I need to go.” He adjusted the giant black bag on his boney shoulders before brushing past Bucky, grumbling as he went. 

Bucky felt rooted on the spot. Half of his coffee was splashed on the ground or still on the stranger’s shirt,  
and now he was definitely going to be late for his chemistry. 

\----------

 

Bucky walks in and out of the engineering building, almost every day, multiple times a day; you’d think after all this time he would remember to show the security guard his ID every time he walks past the desk. Instead, he’s balancing two cups of coffee on top of a stack of books and papers as he rummages around his backpack for it with the other hand. 

Glancing at the security guard obviously unimpressed with him, Bucky promises, “I have it, just, uh, give me a second.” 

God, Natasha always jokes he needs to get a lanyard to put his ID in for how often he loses it, but he’s starting to think it would be a good idea. He can’t tell her that though, he would never hear the end of it, from her or Clint, even if Clint loses his ID more often than Bucky. 

Finally he found his ID, and as he pulled it out of his bag, he felt someone crash into his shoulder, sending his two coffees and everything else flying. 

Momentarily stunned, Bucky looked up at the guy, then looked back down, because it was the same stranger from the other week who was a full head shorter than him. And like the last time he saw the stranger, he was covered in Bucky’s coffee. Really not his best first or second impression. 

From around the corner came another guy, “Man, I told you you need to start watching where you’re going.” 

“Thanks, Sam, I really appreciate it.” The stranger rolled his eyes before looking down at his shirt as it slowly soaked in Bucky’s coffee. “Normally I don’t expect jackasses to be standing in the middle of the walkway.”

Sam just smirked as he went to hand a still flustered Bucky his papers.

Awkwardly grabbing the stack, Bucky realized he’d just been standing there, watching Sam and the stranger talk, not even bothering to gather his belongings scattered around him, “I’m so sorry, again.”

The stranger pressed his lips together in concentration, “Again.” He scanned Bucky’s face. Bucky never felt so exposed under the searching eye of a stranger. “You’re the guy who poured half of your coffee on me a few weeks ago.”

“Er, uh, yeah. Sorry.”

Sam let out a ringing laugh before the stranger had a chance to answer. He turned to glare at him before looking back at Bucky, “Watch it, next time. ”

And maybe his heart fluttered a little at that, because the stranger said   
, even if it vaguely sounded like a threat.

 

\--------------

“I’m telling you Nat, it’s like I’ve never seen this guy before and now I’m running into him everywhere.” 

“Literally” She looked over her laptop before continuing to type. 

“It’s not funny!” And maybe that sounded a little whiny, even to Bucky’s ears. 

She ignored him, instead continueing to work on a report.  
They sat in the small art school cafe, their work spread out on the table. Neither of them had classes in this building, but Nat preferred it to the engineering building cafeteria, where she claimed the coffee tasted like water. Bucky couldn’t tell the difference. He couldn’t imagine that Natasha, someone who usually drank her coffee black, would drink it for the taste either, but she was full of surprises. That’s something he learned quickly after meeting her at freshman orientation three years ago. 

His mind drifted to the stranger; did he drink coffee? Probably. It’s part of college life. He radiates a don’t-fuck-with-me vibe, so maybe he drinks his coffee black too. Maybe next time he sees the stranger, he’ll ask. If he could get the words out and not dump coffee all over him. 

Normally, Bucky was a flirt, charming guys while he waited in line for food or throwing a wink at a cute store clerk, but something about the guy made him feel like he was back in high school, trying to talk to some upperclassman too cool for him.

Not that he had a lot of experience with that.

He ran into the stranger just a couple days ago and hasn’t seen him since. He noticed the sharp collar bones that peaked out behind am obviously too big shirt. Was the shirt his or, what was his friend, Sam’s? Was Sam just a friend? 

Oh fuck. He’s crushing on a guy that probably has a boyfriend. It wouldn’t be a first, but he tried not to make a habit of it. 

“I’m doomed” He groaned and laid his head on the table. 

“Considering I’ve been trying to get your attention for at least a minute, I’d say yeah.” She rolled her shoulders back and focused her attention on Bucky. “Do you even have a name?

“I’ve just been calling him the cute stranger in my head, if that’s what you mean.”

She threw her head back and laughed.

“I don’t need to deal with this.” He grumbled as he stood up from his seat, “I’m getting coffee.”

-

Bucky usually drinks his coffee with only a little bit of creamer, but that’s because creamer is expensive and he would rather save his money for something he needs, like a new computer or the record player he had been eyeing at the shop down the street from his apartment, and maybe he didn’t necessarily need that but he wanted it. But at the coffee stand, he poured a copious amount of vanilla flavored creamer into his cup, watching the black coffee change to a light shade of brown.

Gathering the two cups from the counter, one for Natasha because he is nice, he turned around and ran directly into someone.

“For fucks sake,” The guy jumped back, trying to avoid most of the coffee that came spilling out of the flimsy cups. 

Bucky felt the same way when he realized it was the cute stranger that he spilled coffee on, again, “I promise I’m not doing this on purpose.” 

That elicited a laugh from the stranger, and Bucky felt himself grow lighter, either from relief or from the stranger’s laugh, but he couldn’t tell.

“I hope not. It’s a shitty flirting technique, if that’s what you’re trying to do.” 

“I have it on good accounts that I’m normally better at this.” Bucky gestured with the coffee cups, trying to draw attention away from the blush he felt creeping on his cheeks. 

“Oh, really?” The stranger asked. When Bucky, at a loss for words, only continued to blush, he continued, “and I’d love to stay and chat, but I have a class I’m late for, and now I need to change my shirt.”

“Yeah, um, sorry again.” Bucky finally forced out as the stranger turned to walk away.

He was doomed. For sure. But maybe the flirting comment meant there was no boyfriend. Scrubbing at his cheeks in a half hearted attempt to get rid of his blush, he headed back to Natasha. 

\-------------

“Let’s rent an apartment without a washer and dryer,” Bucky mumbled under his breath, “it won’t be that big of a deal.”

It was barely six, but Bucky was walking down the quiet streets to the 24/7 laundromat a few blocks from his apartment. It wasn’t until last night that he realized he had no more underwear, which he could deal with for a day, or socks, which he couldn’t. 

So here he was, with only a few other people and the pigeons for company as he walked. It was almost shocking how quiet it was in the early hours of the morning; he lived in the city all his life but when he woke up early, he forgot for a second that New York is the largest city in America. 

He planned on sitting, drinking his coffee, and catching up on some Netflix as he waited for his laundry. Not bad for the morning, but he would rather sleep, regardless of the quiet charm the early city held. He was a college student, after all. 

Adjusting the bag thrown over his shoulder, he waited for the cross sign to change. It always seemed to take longer in the morning, or maybe that was just how Bucky felt this early, still warming up and blinking hazeley at his surroundings; it didn’t help that he stayed up last night working before falling asleep at his desk and then waking up an hour later with drool covering his notebook page. 

Then, two things happened at once: Bucky didn’t realize how high the curb was and he went falling forward into the guy in front of him, who managed to turn around just in time to get coffee poured on his pants. 

The stranger jumped back, pushing the large black bag he was carrying away from his body, holding it so it wouldn’t brush against the coffee seeping into his clothing. 

Once Bucky’s brain started working, he pulled the guy back onto the sidewalk. “Oh, jeez, I’m so sorry.” He looked at the face of the guy, only to realize it was the cute stranger. 

Since the last coffee incident, he hadn’t seen him around campus for almost two weeks. That made sense, midterms were coming up, and Bucky knew first hand how overwhelming everything got. Sure, some of that might have to do to his unceasing need to fill up his schedule with as many credits as his advisor let him, and then some, but he couldn’t blame anyone but himself for that.

The stranger looked like midterms began to take a toll on him, too. There were circles under his eyes dark enough to look like bruises; for a moment, Bucky worried if they were bruises. 

“You alright?” Bucky asked, earning a snort from the stranger, but he continued, “besides the coffee all over you, again. Are you sick?”

The stranger squared his shoulders and looked Bucky in the eyes. “I don’t need some stranger trying to take care of me.”

Bucky scuffed his foot against the uneven concrete. He couldn’t explain the pull of protectiveness he had after running into the stranger a few times. “Just making sure. Who else am I supposed to pour my coffee all over if you’re not around?” 

The stranger smiled, relaxing his stance so he no longer looked like he was preparing for a fight. 

“I’m honored.” He paused before continuing, “Just pulled an all nighter in the studio. Haven’t really slept in a while.” 

“Good. I mean, that you’re not sick, um, not that you haven’t slept in a while.” Looking at the cute stranger, Bucky adjusted his bag of laundry again. Did it get heavier in the last few minutes? “I, um, need to go to the laundromat, but it was good seeing you again.”

And before Bucky could continue rambling and making an absolute fool of himself, he turned on his heel and began walking, probably faster than strictly necessary, leaving the stranger staring after him. 

\-----------

The only good thing about midterms was that Spring Break came immediately after. So Bucky justified his all-nighters and coffee induced mania with the promise that he would take care of himself once break came around. It's not like he did anything special; his school breaks normally consisted of sitting around with Clint and Natasha, watching shitty movies, and sleeping for an ungodly amount of time. 

Natasha decided to drag them out for brunch this morning, ignoring the grumbling of Clint and Bucky. 

“It’s not like we couldn’t make breakfast at the apartment.”

Rolling her eyes, she held the door to the cafe open, “I’ve seen you make breakfast and I’m not eating that, Clint.”

“Bucky would make it!”

“Normally I’d kill you for volunteering me for something, but if it meant that I could take off my pants and crawl back into bed, yeah.”

Natasha ignored them as she herded them inside. 

The trio walked into the cafe, searching for an open table amongst the sea of mismatched chairs and tables haphazardly placed throughout the dining area. It looked like a typical hipster cafe, complete with its effect on gentrifying the neighborhood. Normally, all three of them ignored places like this, more inclined to eat anywhere that didn’t hang up framed quotes about ‘caring too much’, but Natasha insisted, on something about their eggs benedict and hash browns and   
They waited to order their food and drinks at the counter, behind another cluster of people. There were others scattered throughout the cafe, making it surprisingly crowded for ten in the morning over a school break. 

“Bucky,” Natasha handed him her drink, something big with a lot of whipped cream to the surprise of Bucky and Clint, “go grab us a seat.”

He nodded, but not before rolling his eyes at her, and made his way through the crowded dining room. Scanning the room, he noticed toward the back were more open tables, so he changed his direction. Focusing on not tripping or spilling the drinks as the chairs and tables got much closer together, he glanced up when a flash of gold out of the corner of his eye. It was long enough to miss the bag tucked next to guys’s chair, making him lose his balance, stumble into the chair, and spill the drinks. 

Thankfully, most of it missed the guy. 

Not thankfully, it was the cute stranger he kept running into. 

The early morning light was streaming through the windows, changing the stranger’s normally delicate blonde hair into gold. When he turned around, Bucky realized how blue his eyes were, something he missed all the other times he saw the stranger. 

Blue also just became his new favorite color.

He stuttered out something before he finally was able to form words again. “I don’t mean to keep doing this.”

“If I get a name this time, the ruined shirts might be worth it.”

“Bucky.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “And I’ve ruined your shirts?”

The stranger’s face lit up before he laughed, “No, I’m just teasing. My ma would be ashamed if I couldn’t get a stain out of a shirt. I’m Steve.”

“Steve” Bucky repeated, feeling the name roll through his mouth. “That’s a lot easier to say than ‘cute stranger’ everytime I see you.”

Laughing, Steve asked, “Cute stranger?”

“Well, that was a lot easier than saying ‘the punk who kept getting my coffee dumped all over him’.”

“Here, I was calling you ‘the pretty boy who doesn’t know how to watch where they’re going’, but I guess Bucky works too.”

Bucky felt himself flush at that.

“If you’d like to get coffee sometime,” Steve continued, as if Bucky’s brain wasn’t short circuiting, something that it tended to do around Steve, “we can go somewhere you’re less likely to spill it on unsuspecting strangers.”

“Yeah,” Bucky nodded his head, “I’d like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on Tumblr! creationoftransadam


End file.
